Webcamming.

I've been reading many of you talking about it as your method of imaging and seen some great pics, but i'm not sure i completely understand what you are all doing.

Would i be right in saying that you are hooking a webcam (bog standard every day webcam?) up to your scopes, and a computer via USB and taking avi movies of objects then running the movies through a program frame by frame and selecting the best ones and compiling those images into one image?

What is the difference between doing this and using an ordinary digicam?

Are webcams more light sensitive?

Hi Paul,
We use a toucam pro for this (a new version is out who's name escapes me atm), we use this camera for 2 reasons,
1, Its is very sensitive at low light levels (relatively speaking),
2, its lens is removable so the telescopes becomes its lens.

Your standard webcam more then likely is not be sensitive enough to catch the planets and its lens is generally not removable. .

We use registax for stacking which filters out the bad frames, its done for you.

Paul,

The main reason that webcams are a great tool for imaging planets and the moon is that webcams are cpable of taking many thousands of images. Your standard digicam can obviously only take a very small number in comparision. With those thousands of images it is now much more likely that at least some of them will be good and useable to make the final image. Registax just help you sgather those good images and stack them all together into the final image.

Just so your 100% clear, webcams are only suitable for imaging planets and the moon. They are not sensitive enough to capture deep sky objects (at least in their default configuration). I'm sure you knew this but just to be sure:)

Thanks Dave. I wasnt too far off the mark. I didnt know you all use the same type of webcam.

Yeah i was wondering about most models of standard webcam...........because as you said "the lens is not removable". I just thought you all got a pliers and yanks those puppies off and let the scope become the new lens.

Thanks for explaining it to me. I'm so far off doing the type of stuff you guys do but knowing a little something about it is no harm. I'm gonna google the toucam and see what it comes up with just so i know what kinda set up it is you all have.

I'll be happy when i get a good study adapter to hook my digicam up to my scope. My digi has a good 5X optical zoom and if pics of M42,Mars come out on it anything like they look just using my scope i'll be a happy camper.

Baby steps.

The main reason that webcams are a great tool for imaging planets and the moon is that webcams are cpable of taking many thousands of images. Your standard digicam can obviously only take a very small number in comparision.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh the penny has dropped. I completely forgot to think of that.

ust so your 100% clear, webcams are only suitable for imaging planets and the moon. They are not sensitive enough to capture deep sky objects (at least in their default configuration). I'm sure you knew this but just to be sure:)

Yep i figured as much.

The replacement is the Phillips SPC900. Here is some info on what you need to use .
This nice chappie took photos to show us how www.robertreeves.com/900NC.htm .
And here you will get an idea of the prices, apart from the camera,
www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Online_C...bcam_Imaging_19.html . Dont forget to include the cost of the IR filter.